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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25878544">♡ | I'll love you, again and again.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalothetic/pseuds/kalothetic'>kalothetic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Koganatsu Agenda [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And thus he will suffer, Graphic Description of Hugs, I love him, I mash up like 26 soulmate aus in one, I stopped caring, M/M, Natsume Except With Issues™, Not Beta Read, Soulmates AU, and a head, and arms, and now it's THIS, and possessed me, anyway koganatsu agenda here we go, at first at least, but it grew legs, but it isn't rushed either (I hope), don't mind some things not matching with canon, either teach me or spit on me, enemies to friends to lovers speedrun edition, everything is the same except soulmates are a thing, except very specific, go hard or go home, he's a lil sad at some points, it's just kinda implied, koga being a big sap towards a s/o is my fav headcanon, mama didn't raise a quitter, neither of them want the other as a soulmate, once he gets past his 'I don't want this' phase, other ships if u squint, she did however raise a fool, so he will be a big sap towards natsume, so medium burn???, still can't write Koga's accent properly, there isn't even any actual smut in it, this isn't slow burn as much as I wish I could say it is, this was originally planned as pwp, well too bad for them, with a sprinkle of reikao because I'm me</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:48:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,549</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25878544</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalothetic/pseuds/kalothetic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He's heard all sorts of love stories. They live in a world where the universe decides your future and chooses your other half. Your fate written ink on your wrist guiding you towards who will fill the missing hole in your heart and complete you, it sounds almost like something out of those fairy tale books. He never understood what was written on his arm or how it hinted to him who his soulmate was and his mother's expression turned into something unreadable whenever he asked her so he settled on leaving it up to the element of surprise to catch him off-guard, and it did as soon as he turned 16 years old. As soon as he figured out what the words on his wrist mean.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"You stupid motherfuc- oh shit sorry!"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hakaze Kaoru/Sakuma Rei, Hibiki Wataru/Tenshouin Eichi, Oogami Kouga/Sakasaki Natsume</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Koganatsu Agenda [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2237358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>♡ | I'll love you, again and again.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/empvthy/gifts">empvthy</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>ー song ; never grow up - chanmina. </p><p>I love koganatsu so much please love them with me-</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He grew up on fairy tale stories. His mother seemed to like them and would read a new one to him every night before he falls asleep, she seemed to always have something fresh up her sleeve and he can't remember a time he heard the same plot twice. Sometimes he wonders if she ran out of stories at one point and started making up her own, she's quite talented and creative in many aspects, and story-telling is definitely one of them. There are times where she would talk of tales from her own experiences, and he loved those the most. His mother seems to have done so much in her life, she saw and did almost everything a person could! Or at least that's what an 11 year old Natsume thought, in reality she had led a very ordinary life except sprinkled with a little bit of magic. But he who looked up to his mother as if she held all the stars in her eyes had believed anything she says or does is the very definition of majestic, and aspired to be like her in every way.</p><p>He's heard all sorts of love stories. They live in a world where the universe decides your future and chooses your other half. Your fate written ink on your wrist guiding you towards who will fill the missing hole in your heart and complete you, it sounds almost like something out of those fairy tale books. He never understood what was written on his arm or how it hinted to him who his soulmate was and his mother's expression turned into something unreadable whenever he asked her so he settled on leaving it up to the element of surprise to catch him off-guard, and it did as soon as he turned 16 years old. As soon as he figured out what the words on his wrist mean.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"You stupid motherfuc- oh shit sorry!"</p><p> </p><p>He was seventeen when he ran into this so-called soulmate.</p><p>It's not that he didn't know of the other's existence, he's heard endless stories about him through his Rei-niisan (and they definitely didn't invoke jealousy because of Rei being so close to him). It's just that he simply never found him worth talking to. He seemed like a wild animal on the loose and as fun as he might be to mess around with, he'd also provoke Natsume and give him an unnecessary headache he'd rather get from staring at some video game in the dark than dealing with what seemed to be a brick wall.</p><p>But never, ever, ever did he even for a single second stop and consider the slightest, tiniest possibility of the existence of the fact that this so-called brick wall... Could be his long-awaited soulmate.</p><p>When he saw that blonde haired member of Trickstar zoom past him screaming, he was definitely startled. He heard someone yell from behind him and had turned around to identify the cause of this disturbance. And so the cause of this disturbance had turned the corner and his furious expression came face to face with Natsume. "You stupid motherfuc-" he paused instantly, his expression turning to one of shock as he hadn't expected to find Natsume in front of him instead of that surprisingly fast Makoto. "Oh shit sorry!" he blurted out, taking a frantic step backwards so he isn't all up in the other guys face. He had mistaken the look of absolute shock and horror that appeared on Natsume's slowly paling face to be out of feeling offended perhaps?</p><p>He certainly wouldn't have considered the other was on the verge of a heart attack combined with a stroke upon realizing the words on his wrist were finally vocalized in the worst way possible. He had spent the past 17 years fantasizing of some fairy tale-like meeting with his soulmate, something grand and romantic that will knock the air out of his lungs and make his heart skip a beat. This sure did that but not in the right way he was dreaming of.</p><p>He expected to be happy upon meeting his soulmate, expected to be swept off his feet instantly and feel elated! But he is absolutely livid. Absolutely furious. How dare this mutt be his soulmate and ruin that beautiful fantasy?! The audacity!</p><p>"So YOU'RE the asshOLE?!" Natsume finally said something. Shouting it out at Koga with his whole chest, attracting the attention of any students anywhere near them, as everyone's curious eyes landed on whatever was happening between this unlikely duo. </p><p>But Koga couldn't care about their stares, or their whispers, or their attention. He couldn't focus on anything else but Natsume. The words Natsume just spoke repeating on loop in his mind, layers of the same sentence duplicating on top of each other and echoing back and forth in his head. His mind currently felt like that bouncing DVD logo Screensaver, except at lightning speed with too many DVD logos. Words he's had tattooed into his brain as much as they were to his wrist from how many times he's stared at them and wondered what kind of situation he'd have to end up in for those to be his soulmates' first words directed to him. The good news is, he now knows. But now it was Koga's turn to pale.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The commotion had caught the attention of none other than Rei Sakuma and neither of the two were happy about it. Especially considering Rei stepped in before Natsume attacked Koga and dragged them both to the Light Music Club room so they don't attract anymore unnecessary attention and now they were seated next to each other (each one looking at literally anything else but the other). Rei had attempted to get an explanation out of them but they were acting like a couple in marriage counseling, each one trying to move the spotlight away from themselves and find a way to make whatever just happened the others fault, but never giving a proper answer. So after having had enough of their bickering he decided to leave them to it and take a nap in his coffin. He couldn't even stop their argument long enough to let them know that he'll be taking a nap so he didn't bother and hoped he's tired enough to sleep through their hissy fits.</p><p>"I literally can't believe I'm unlucky enough to end up with you of all peoPLE!" People say Koga is all bark no bite, but if we were to be realistic, then Natsume is equally all bark no bite. Just as much as Koga thinks that his attitude and way of speaking makes him seem all gangster and badass when in reality he can't live up to any of the threats he makes, Natsume is pretty skilled in throwing harsh words and insults and even getting physically violent yet can't handle any of it being directed back at him.</p><p>"How do you think I feel?! You are literally the second worst soulmate I could have! The first one being that vampire bastard!" so naturally, he's fine with complaining about Koga being his soulmate, but as soon as Koga makes any hurtful comments towards not wanting Natsume as his soulmate he gets upset.</p><p>Natsume scowled at him and turned his head to the other direction, not wanting to face him and say any senseless things. Koga didn't like being ignored, so he had opened his mouth to say something when he felt a sharp pain in his chest knock the air out of him. He placed his hand on his chest by reflex and stayed there perplexed for a few seconds. What was that?</p><p>The surprise he felt during that sudden flash pain that seemed to come from nowhere distracted him enough to forget about feeling angry. So after a few more seconds of tension filled silence he tried to speak again only to get cut off once more, except not by any pain this time thank God but rather by Natsume who decided the silence stretched on long enough. He directed his words to him without moving to look at him at all, "What's so bad about having me as a soulmATE..?!" and Koga recognizes feigned courage in someone's voice from how many times he's done it himself. Natsume was trying to keep up his attitude but there was a hint of hurt wavering between the lines.</p><p>Koga will admit that as much as he makes himself out to be this tough and cold lone wolf, he's always hoped to one day find someone he can let those walls crumble around. Who better to do that with than your literal other half? He would often hear stories of those who have found their soulmate, and how magical it felt and all that crap and he'd gag on the outside and say he doesn't give a shit about all of that lovey dovey soulmate nonsense. Because that's how Koga works. But deep down he can't lie to himself as easily as he can lie to everyone else, he looks at others who look so complete with envy. A few examples of people around him who have found a soulmate are none other than the infamous Eichi. He couldn't give two fucks about Eichi but he knows through Rei, who knows because of Wataru, who happens to be Eichi's soulmate. They're the talk of the academy so it's hard not to notice or hear things even when you don't want to. They're the definition of romance to everyone else searching for their kissing puzzle piece, and maybe Koga himself feels jealous. They look really happy.</p><p>He would rather shoot himself than ever admit it outloud, but he's always wondered what it would feel like if he had someone he could love like that. Someone who'd love him back despite all the fronts he put up; who'll see through them. Someone to receive those cheesy good morning and good night texts from (his soulmate doesn't have 'good morning' in his vocabulary, how much luckier can he get? It's always night with Natsume). Someone who'd listen to him talk about his feelings that would hurt his pride to even tell them to a mirror. Someone who he can protect. Someone who'll look at him like he matters, like he's loved. The way Wataru and Eichi look at each other. He wishes he could have someone touch him. It doesn't have to be in any sexual way, he just wants to be touched. He wants his hand held, he wants to be hugged, to be cuddled, to lay his head in someone's lap and have them run their fingers through his hair. His family was never big on physical show of affection and he's not exactly the nicest around his friends to be receiving things like that. The closest he's ever come to something physical is through cuddling Leon or when Leon licks his face all over. And as much as he loves Leon, it doesn't substitute the stupid human craving for the contact of another person. </p><p>A more personal example of someone who found their soulmate would be Rei himself. Koga, ever since the first year, didn't understand what Rei saw in Kaoru to keep chasing him back and forth when clearly Kaoru did not care about Rei. It only became obvious when Kaoru became involved in Koga's life as well, as a member of his unit. Kaoru is Rei's soulmate and as much as Rei seems happy about it, Kaoru seems to be stuck in an eternal state of denial. He insists the universe is wrong, and that his soulmate would no way be a man. Gender didn't matter to a good majority of the people Koga's met because when the universe shuffled it clearly didn't care about the genders being assigned correctly, because there is no correct way for it. It's the person who'll be able to support you and care for you and understand you that would take the title of your soulmate. And from everything Koga has seen, even if it has a rocky start; the universe makes no mistake. You're destined to eventually bloom into your soulmate, it's only a matter of time. Your hearts are meant to be and will always find a way back to each other no matter how far you try to run from it.</p><p>Rei believes in that an incredible amount. It's why he doesn't give up on Kaoru, and is patient with him. He can understand what Kaoru is going through and he knows that there will be a day when Kaoru accepts Rei as his soulmate. Rei loves Kaoru, and he believes Kaoru does love him too somewhere in between all the lies he tells himself to make himself seem more convinced of the opposite. Koga sometimes asks him just how long he's going to put up with Kaoru's dismissive and hurtful treatment, and Rei says he's willing to put up with it forever if he has to. Koga feels confused, how can you be so devoted to someone who doesn't want anything to do with you? 'love' Rei answers. Koga thinks about the word way longer than a person should think about a word that everyone is supposed to know the meaning of by this point, especially in a world where you spend so long seeking it.</p><p>But does he truly know what love means? Should he feel it himself to genuinely understand it? He can't wrap his mind around Rei and Kaoru's relationship. If someone was to treat Koga the way Kaoru treats Rei, Koga is certain he'd say a big fuck you to the universe and decide to fall in love on his own account. But maybe he can't do that, and he can't fall in love with anyone else either, because he doesn't even know what it truly means. He thought he shouldn't trouble himself with such thoughts like a highschool girl and instead wait until the universe decides it's time for him to meet this soulmate who'll turn his world upside down. He naively believed that as soon as he and his soulmate make eye contact he'll understand the true meaning of love and personally apologize to Rei for ever questioning his undying loyalty to Kaoru, and it will be smooth sailing from there. But his meeting with his soulmate had gone in every possible direction it shouldn't have. This wasn't smooth sailing, this was a car being driven off of a cliff at two hundred miles per hour by a madman high on 7 pills of Adderall.</p><p>He just wants someone he wouldn't feel the need to pretend around. </p><p>He may have speedran through the five stages of grief and landed on	'acceptance', because he sighed and ran a hand through his hair surprisingly calmly. "listen.." he really wished he could see Natsume's face. Not for anything other than the fact that he wants to read his expression. Koga is really good at reading the facial expressions of others and understanding their train of thought through it due to being so good at all kinds of card games, but it's proving to be difficult with Natsume's protective stance. "this is all new to me too, ya know? Not saying I'm happy about this, but we're soulmates whether we like it or not. So we should-"</p><p>"Should whAT? Act like iT?"</p><p>Ah, there's the frustration rising again.</p><p>"No.." he practically growled trying to keep his temper in check and have a civilized conversation "we should at least be less hostile towards each other" look who's talking. "I've got a feelin' we're gonna be stuck together for a long time. So we might as well start gettin' used to it."</p><p>He makes a good point, he really does. But the way he words it makes Natsume feel like it translates to 'yeah whatever you're my soulmate I'm your soulmate we gotta deal with it so..', and that makes his heart clench with unwelcomed hurt again.</p><p>"ow!" Koga randomly exclaimed out loud as he grips his chest again. This is it. He's finally dying. That's the second random wave of pain he feels in his heart, there's no other explanation. Maybe he should hurry up and get on better terms with Natsume otherwise he'll get kicked out of heaven for indirectly breaking his soulmates heart just by being himself.</p><p>Koga waited a minute or three to see if Natsume wanted to add his own two cents to that suggestion, when he realized Natsume didn't have anything else to say, he extended a hand out awkwardly. "So.. Uh.. Cool?"</p><p>Natsume finally turned to face him, but he didn't direct his gaze to Koga's face; it only fell on his extended hand. Koga is good at reading people's facial expression, as previously stated, and he's positive he's never seen so much hurt breaking through a disguise of indifference before. It almost hurt his heart for a third time. Almost made him want to ask what's wrong and try to fix it. Maybe that's the soulmate bond thingy speaking, because no Koga in his right mind would think of something like that. </p><p>Natsume figured this is better than nothing. "coOL." he muttered, not bothering to shake the extended hand before he got up and walked out without another word.</p><p>Koga, frankly, felt offended to be left hanging like that.</p><p>He watched the door close behind Natsume and a weird feeling of loneliness fill the room. He wondered where that came from, because Koga's never felt lonely even in a fully empty place. He's the lone wolf after all, isn't he? He likes being alone. He couldn't explain it but there was a sudden strange feeling of emptiness he's never felt before, like something is wrong. </p><p>He stared at the hand he had extended for an awkward hand shake (to be honest he wouldn't shake his own hand if he was on the receiving end of that awful proposal either. Natsume's a Saint for not punching him in the face because he would have punched his own face) and let his sight trailed from the palm of his empty hand down to his wrist where those words were inked into his skin. They were truly peculiar, much like his soulmate, and there was a strange void feeling; as if he's not processing recent events properly. He had stared at those words for so many years -his entire life actually- and wondered where and how they would happen, and now that they have and it makes sense again, he finds himself witu more questions then he had before.</p><p>Before it was simply wondering who would his soulmate be? How would he encounter them? Why are these their first words? The simple questions that cross the minds of everyone at least once in their life.</p><p>Now, however, he had more.</p><p>Where will they go from here? Will it ever work out? Will they ever get along? Will he ever love Natsume the way he always hoped he could love his soulmate? He truly doesn't know. He's never felt so lost in his life. Finding his soulmate resulted in less comfort and clarity and more stress and worry. He doesn't see how he could ever grow comfortable enough to love Natsume. And he doesn't know if Natsume will ever love him either. It seems so... Confusing. Almost worrying. Will his chance really go to waste like that? Will he end up just like Rei? Never to reach a point where he and his soulmate would just melt into each other?</p><p>"aaaaahh... You really are hopeless, puppy... You could have simply told me what the situation was and this old man would have tried to help yet you choose to ignore me, how impolite ~"</p><p>Koga groaned. He had gotten so caught up in his own thoughts and conversation with Natsume that he forgot all about Rei being in his coffin. He really didn't need him to make this even worse.</p><p>"Leave me alone."</p><p>"You should really be more considerate of your words"</p><p>Rei's tone sounded less playful and more serious, and that caught Koga's attention because it's not often that Rei actually lives up to his 'wise old man' act so when he does he usually provides some useful advice... And then returns to being the most punchable looking bitch in Yumenosaki Academy.</p><p>"The fuck do you mean?" He's tired, he really is. He feels like all his energy evaporated and all he wants to do for once is sleep the rest of the day away. His words have no actual malicious feelings backing them up. And as much as he does not want Rei involved in this, he knows that the people closest to Natsume who know the most about him are Switch and The Oddballs. Koga isn't close enough to anyone from those two categories except Rei, so he could prove to be rather helpful for once.</p><p>"Sakasaki-kun may not seem like it, but he is quite sensitive. He has a good heart, and I promise you will grow to like him if you give him a chance. Perhaps you should try this again."</p><p>Try this again, huh? Well that sounds like a damn fantastic idea except for the fact that you can barely ever find Natsume around the academy and even if he was to find him, he probably already wants nothing to do with Koga. That was a grand Fuckup with a capital F.</p><p>"Do you want to?" Rei spoke up again. Koga might get a headache, he's never thought so hard in his whole life as he has in the past 15 minutes.</p><p>He looked at Rei, searching his face to try and see if Rei's being honest about wanting to help or if he's taking advantage of Koga's miserable state to mess with him.</p><p>Koga knows he can trust Rei. He cares about him despite how his attitude says otherwise (but really that's just how Koga is. He cares about all his friends. His heart says 'I love you' and his mouth says 'go fuck yourself'.) and he knows that Rei feels the same about him, so he can tell when Koga's in distress and needs help even if he doesn't ask for it.</p><p>So for once, he asks for it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This was a terrible idea and Koga doesn't even know if he should be doing this. Is this allowed? Wait, why wouldn't it be?! It's just a library, for crying out loud! But then again.. It's a secret library, so meaning it's not supposed to be found by anyone unless they've been invited in. But Koga's technically been invited, right?! Well, by Rei not Natsume, and this is technically Natsume's secret library so...</p><p>Where even is this damn thing?! He'd been given a key and Rei told him in the most mysterious way possible to find this hidden room, but all Koga could hear was 'go suffer on your own so I can finish this nap'! But it's apparently where Natsume spends almost all his time, so Koga figured he at least got one good thing out of that vampire bastard. </p><p>Koga pulls out yet another stack of books and puts them on the floor only to find nothing behind them. How hard could it be to find a goddamn keyhole??</p><p>"Fuck this shit!" Koga exclaims as he kicks the shelf in front of him out of anger, and it causes a few books to tumble out of their spot and fall down with loud thuds that spooked Koga as he wasn't expecting that to happen. With an exasperated sigh and a frustrated roll of his eyes, he walked over to where the fallen books lay and picks them up to put them back in place. As he was about to place them on the shelf, he finds a strange looking keyhole that doesn't look like it has any business being there. The design of it seeming very out of place with the rest of the school, it looks really.. Expensive? In a way? Like some keyhole you'd find in a mansion. </p><p>He brings out the key Rei had given him earlier and stares at it, then at the keyhole. It wouldn't hurt to try, although it already seems pretty obvious that's where it goes. He slides the key in and twists it, and suddenly feels the ground underneath him move and slowly slide down, almost like an elevator. He would have marveled at how cool that was had he not been distracted by how unexpected it was and how he hopes no one heard the embarrassing yelp he let out as soon as the actual fucking floor he's standing on just started descending. </p><p>When it finally reached steady ground and stopped on it, Koga had completely gotten over the initial shock and was now taken back by a new one. No wonder the keyhole felt like it didn't blend with anything else in the school, this entire place doesn't blend with anything else in the school. It looks so old and vintage, Koga doesn't blame Natsume for spending all his time here; he would too. "Woah..." he breathed out in admiration as his eyes darted from one place to another, one object to another, trying to take in the sight of everything.</p><p>"you seem to like what you sEE"</p><p>A familiar voice resounded against the wooden shelves as Koga tried to find where it came from. He walked down the awfully creaky stairs as he continued to not know where to place his vision because there's just so much to see. It might be just a library, and Koga is by no means a fan of these, but it's so majestic compared to the library they have above and it's very possibly the first time Koga sees one like this. It strangely has a sort of comforting feeling to it, with it's dim lights and it's wooden structure. He can definitely ignore that satanic looking circle he spotted through an open door, that doesn't seem very welcoming actually.</p><p>Natsume was sitting on the floor in that room, too close to the satanic circle than Koga would like to be. Koga, again, gets distracted by the concerning amount of questionable objects all over the place as he enters that creepy looking room. Such as books in ancient languages, too much medicine than is needed in a library, chemistry vials of all shapes and sizes littered in every corner on every table filled with all kinds of strange colors. At this point Koga wouldn't be surprised if he spots a dragon somewhere too.</p><p>Natsume eyes him patiently, expression indifferent as he waits for him to finish admiring what Natsume has already grown used to. </p><p>"Uh.. Didn't know you were into this kinda thing..." was all Koga could say after he was done scanning everything, Koga is not an awkward person at all yet he feels like he keeps shrinking under Natsume's gaze. Maybe it's the thought behind the reason he even showed up here that's making him feel so out of place. He feels almost like a child who came to apologize to their parents after eating too many cookies, but that's ridiculous, Koga is not here to apologize. He's here to... Well... Give this a second chance, as Rei suggested? To be perfectly honest, he doesn't know what he's here for anymore either. His thoughts spin and he feels like he should just leave, because his pride hurts too much to be here and be the bigger person.</p><p>Natsume stands up, and Koga is grateful for the other boy being shorter than him because Koga would have positively walked the fuck out of there if he was taller and could stare him down. "There is a lot you do not know about mE" came a simple answer. Damn. He's right, though.</p><p>"So what brought you heRE?" Natsume asked, as he walked over to a shelf and placed the book he had open on the floor back in it's place, before turning to face Koga again.</p><p>Well now what?</p><p>What's Koga supposed to say? He feels like he has a little Koga angel on one shoulder telling him to just man up and admit that he'd want to try this again, that they got off on the wrong foot and maybe there's a chance they could actually get along. But on the other shoulder, stands a little Koga devil telling him that Natsume is no less guilty than he is and that the brat should also make an effort, and that he would have if he cared so why should Koga be doing all the work? It feels a little unfair and a little out of the ordinary for Koga who never felt the need to apologize to anyone over anything before (unless he absolutely, positively, royally fucked up and he knows that it is entirely his fault).</p><p>He must have been standing there staring into the void for too long because it seemed to have made Natsume uncomfortable and he decided to break the ice himself. With a sigh, he spoke up. "you're so hard to understAND".</p><p>Koga wanted to say something like 'look who's talking' because he can't understand anything about Natsume, but at least he now knows they at least agree on something.</p><p>Natsume looked around for a few seconds before he settled on sitting back down next to that summoning circle and gesturing to Koga to come sit across from him. Koga had a feeling there's a 70% chance he'll be sacrificed but he figured it's still the better outcome of this scenario rather than apologizing or anything like that.</p><p>As he sat down across from him, he felt uneasy. This whole thing was freaking him out and he wondered just how invested Natsume is in these things because maybe that'd give him a clue to whether or not Natsume can simply put a curse on him if pissed off enough, Koga does not need more bad luck. Or he could summon some hellspawn to haunt him, both sound like horrible ideas.</p><p>As Koga contemplates all the many possible ways he could get murdered by Natsume, Natsume extends his hand out in front of Koga casually. In a position that makes it look like he's expecting Koga to put something in it.</p><p>Koga instead, being the genius that he is, awkwardly shakes his hand. Although the position seems a bit weird for a handshake, he will not question Natsume's wisdom.</p><p>"Wha- you idIOT! I meant give me your hand to read your pALM!"</p><p>Oh. Well he should have said so!</p><p>Koga, embarrassed, removed his hand and placed it in a more proper position. A palm reading? Just how many useless skills those Natsume have up his sleeve? Koga doesn't even know why he's agreeing, if Natsume is skilled enough at this he could figure out a lot about Koga that Koga would rather he doesn't find out. He may be his soulmate but that doesn't give him an 'enter my heart and mind as you please' pass, mind you, Koga has secrets he'd like to remain secrets. But he also figured that if they are going to get anywhere, shouldn't opening up be the first step? Maybe he could let this time slide, but next time it's definitely Natsume's turn. Not for a palm reading, obviously, as far as Koga can go with reading somebody's hand is being able to tell if they play a musical instrument or not, but definitely not dive into their entire personality. He'll get him to open up in some other way.</p><p>Natsume scooted closer to Koga so he could be more comfortable as he read his palm and Koga turned all his attention to Natsume's index finger that started tracing the lines on Koga's palm.</p><p>He traced over every single line with a delicate finger, leaving feather-like touches that lit a fire behind them as they continued trailing every line with precision.</p><p>"This liNE..." he traced over Koga's line of life "tells the vitality of a person and shows health staTUS." he explained, and Koga nodded along mindlessly, listening carefully. Natsume went on to explain to him the meaning of it and what it says about Koga. Then he moved on to the Line of Career, Line of Head, Line of Health, Line of Success, and so on. With each one he describes things about Koga that Koga never thought anyone would know about him, ranging from secrets he's kept buried in his closet to general facts about him that even he didn't know. He got a few glimpses into his future and he was satisfied with what Natsume told him awaits him, lots of fame and success. He got to know that indeed people around him do love him, and that his efforts don't go unnoticed, and that one day it will indeed all pay off. Natsume also spoke of some weirdly named lines such as Ring of Solomon and Girdle of Venus. He also discovered the interest fact that each finger represents a planet? At least that's what he understood. Finger of Jupiter, Finger of Saturn, Finger of Apollo (is that a planet? He's a lil confused but he doesn't want to ask and ruin Natsume's concentration, he seems really invested in what he's doing) and Finger of Mercury. They don't reach this stuff in school but he'll be damned if it isn't much cooler than anything he's found in those textbooks. </p><p>"And the final line iS... Line of MarriAGE" Koga's heart skipped a beat. "It's self-explanatORY, it tells your future with your soulmATE. When you will develop feelings for thEM, how deep the feelings will bE, and how happy the relationship will bE." Koga's heart has skipped so many beats he might as well be dead. It suddenly feels awfully hot in here.</p><p>Natsume's finger continues trailing softly over that line as he goes silent for a moment. He hasn't been quiet for almost an hour now, is this supposed to be a bad thing? Does Natsume not like what he sees? The wait and the unreadable expression on Natsume's face just adds onto his stress and he wants to yell at Natsume to just spit it out already!</p><p>"YoU... Will eventually fall in love with your soulmATE, and pursue a passionate and loving relationship with thEM..." he finally spoke up, and then looked up to face Koga for the first time in the past hour.</p><p>And it suddenly feels even hotter than it did before, and Koga is certain his cheeks are red because they feel really hot but he feels almost hypnotized by Natsume's eyes and he can't look away to hide his blushing face. The distance between them is very small, and the thought that Koga could close it really easily if he just leans forward just slightly suddenly crosses his mind. But he still can't do it. He can't do anything but stay still, frozen in place as he stares into those pools of dripping gold. "You're starING.." Natsume whispers to him despite knowing it's only the two of them here, and Koga can feel the others cold breath on his face. Koga's eyebrows furrow in embarrassment. "Y-Yea- well, I-It's hard not to when your face looks so w-weird..!" he tried to keep up his tough image, but the way he stuttered out his words and the redness all over his cheeks spoke volumes louder than what his words did. </p><p>The trance suddenly breaks as Natsume clears his throat and moves back a little bit, letting go of Koga's hand that had went and gotten used to the warmth of Natsume's hand without Koga's permission. Koga turns his face to the other direction although it's a little useless now as Natsume has definitely seen how hard he was blushing, but Koga finds Natsume's red hair to be rather adorable. "You should leaVE.. I'm certain people must be looking for you by nOW." Natsume says, almost demanding as he stands up and turns his back to Koga, busying himself with a few of the scattered things on his table.</p><p>Koga doesn't have anything else to say, that experience had said more than enough (and now Natsume is a living, breathing source of blackmail for Koga with all of the information he got just from a few lines on Koga's hand) so he silently obeys and walks out, leaving Natsume alone yet again in his library.</p><p>He can allow himself to believe this experience did good for them, this time it wasn't hostile and it almost seemed like for a moment, those stupid feelings of attraction that soulmates are inevitably going to have towards each other were blooming. Until the moment was ruined. But that's alright, Koga left in a much better mood than he was in earlier, and maybe this was the first of many more of these moments.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He wants to cry. He wants to scream.</p><p>There's so much frustration boiling inside of him as he tries to keep it in there and not let it out or else it will tear him apart. The pressure in his chest keeps growing and he feels his heart might stop beating from how hard it's hammering against his chest. He takes sharp breaths in and out, trying to even out his breathing, but he can't. It just makes it harder for him to contain the hot throbbing in his brain. His vision is hazy and he feels himself slowly growing dizzy. Is he spinning or is the room spinning? He doesn't know, all he knows is rage. He's never felt so furious in his life. He's good at keeping his temper in check as much as his violent actions say otherwise and he's never felt angry to the point of wanting to actually hurt someone beyond recovery. But there's no one to take these feelings out, no one to express them to. He can't scream out this frustration and feel the satisfaction of it ripping through his vocal cords and he can't do anything else about it but hold it in until it tears him apart inside out. In an act of anger, without thinking, he punches the wall of his bedroom as hard as he can, putting all the fury he feels into it. He felt a slight bit of regret as pain instantly coursed through him and made his arm feel like it had gotten chopped in half.</p><p>He's not strong physically and he knows that. His body is weak, but he can't think straight. He can't see straight. He can't do anything but act through animalistic behavior. It's unlike him, he's always the one able to pull himself together and manage all his emotions and keep all his feelings in check. To crumble apart under the pressure of his own mental state, is something he never thought he'd allow himself to fall victim to.</p><p>A sudden cold sensation against his cheeks snapped him back to reality momentarily to realize that he had started crying. His frustration finding a way to let itself out through tears instead. He tries to hold back a sob as his body suddenly feels limp and weak and tired. He lets himself fall to his knees and cry. He feels weak. He feels pathetic. His vision hazy for an entirely different reason now as he ca barely see through his tears. One slips down his nose and onto his fist, where he had hit the wall and he hisses at the sudden sensation of pain. Squeezing his eyes shut to suppress it helped clear some of the tears welling up in his eyes and preventing him from seeing properly, and as he opened them again seeing more clearly now he noticed his hand bleeding. He must have punched the wall harder than he thought he did, because there was a slight crack in the area his fist collided with the wall and his knuckles are bleeding.</p><p>He tries to stand up, supporting his weight on his nightstand because his body is too worn out to support it's own weight. His hand scrambles around for a few seconds before it lands on the drawer and pulls it open, getting out the bandages he keeps there and the alcohol spray. This is definitely going to hurt like a bitch.</p><p>He sits down on his bed so he can focus on using whatever energy he has left on bandaging his fist instead.</p><p>Placing the bandage in his mouth, he grabs the alcohol spray and sprays a few times over the bleeding area. A sharp hiss of pain, his bites down harder on the bandages so he doesn't make more sound than necessary. For a second he notices he's still crying, tears still spilling without his control. It feels like he's lost control of everything in his own body, but he can't be bothered by anything anymore. He feels too tired to deal with anything.</p><p>He skillfully wraps the bandage around the hurt area quickly and throws the stuff back into the drawer carelessly.</p><p>He remains sitting there. He doesn't feel like there's anything worth getting up for. He can feel his pants get wet slightly as his tears slip down on them. He feels like this is the most exhausted he's ever felt, the anger and hurt he had felt had worn him out more than what he was prepared for. He decided there's no use sitting here and crying for the rest of the night so he was about to get up and change into something more comfortable to try and sleep all of this off, when his ringtone rang through the room and a familiar face popped up on the caller ID.</p><p>'Koga Oogami'</p><p>He hadn't bothered doing anything special with his name (he's quirky like that and almost everyone worth making it into his contacts gets some weird nickname) mostly because he never thought there'd actually come a day where he calls him or the other way around.</p><p>To find him calling, and at such an hour too, is strange to say the least. And Natsume doesn't believe he's in any state to answer a phone call right now because he's too tired to even speak, but curiosity (and maybe a tiny bit of happiness over seeing Koga calling him, especially when he most needs somebody to just be there) got the best of him and he hit the green answer button, hoping he doesn't sound as terrible as he feels.</p><p>"heLLO?" he croaked out, and instantly tried to cover it up by clearing his throat.</p><p>"Sakasaki? You sound like hell" Koga's distant voice sounded almost as tired as Natsume feels, almost as if he was asleep. Why would he call him if he was asleep? Had he seen him in a dream or something?</p><p>"J-.. Just tired.." he replied, dropping his katakana sentence endings, not bothering with pretending he sounds fine because Koga seems too sleepy to even remember having called him the next morning.</p><p>"Did something happen?"</p><p>It's actually really strange that Koga is suddenly interested in whether or not Natsume is alright. This entire phone call is very omnious and unexpected and Koga's behavior seems even weirder, Natsume would almost want to question it if he didn't know he'd end up sounding unintentionally defensive and he just really feels comforted by the fact that there is somewhat a presence of another person with him. "no... Just had a long day..." his voice isn't convincing at all. He sounds like he had just returned from battle not like he simply had a long day, but Koga won't pry.</p><p>Truthfully, Koga doesn't know why he called either. He was sleeping peacefully then suddenly got woken up to sharp pains in his chest again. He wanted to ignore them at first, then started considering taking some medicine for it (but that idea was scrapped because he doesn't even know what specifically is hurting and doesn't feel like experimenting by swallowing pills through terrible pinpointing towards what the pain could be with his knowledge of medicine being limited to simply 3 episodes of some boring medical show he watched out of desperation) but the pain kept intensifying and along with it intensified the urge to grab the phone call Natsume. Why would he suddenly feel like calling Natsume at 3 in the goddamn morning?! He sure doesn't know, but the feelings kept gnawing at him and a voice in his head kept pressuring him to do so he just gave up and called Natsume, hoping he wouldn't have disturbed his sleep just for 'I don't know I just felt like it'.</p><p>But suddenly, hearing how off Natsume sounds (the fact that he's not ending his sentences weirdly being a call for worry on its own) he realized that maybe, just maybe, there was a reason he felt like he was spiritually getting his ass kicked into making this phone call. So he'll stick around, even if he's tired, and even if he can barely process a single conversation topic, he'll stay. Because he feels like Natsume needs it, but won't admit it.</p><p>So he somehow started talking about Leon, then Natsume added in the fact that he has two cats, and what their names are (Koga deserves an award for not commenting on how fucking weird it is that their names are Luci and Juju only to then be told they're short for Lucifer and Judas but he feels like he should be used to Natsume's questionable interests by now) and then they talked about animals in general. Koga found they share an interest in their love for animals and that made him feel happy because animals, specifically dogs, mean a lot to him and he loves them with all his heart so for his soulmate to love them just as much was a relief even if he's a dog person and Natsume is more of a cat person. Natsume himself kind of reminds Koga of a cat, but he doesn't want to voice that thought because he knows that Natsume will compare him to a dog and he does not want that to ruin their moment. </p><p>They stayed on the call for an hour and a half, and after almost an hour Koga had managed to get a laugh out of Natsume. It wasn't particularly loud or anything and he still sounded extremely tired but it was still progress and Koga smiled to himself knowing he was helping Natsume feel a little better. Natsume on the other hand proved to be an absolute comedian (a rather sarcastic one) even when he's mentally drained as he had Koga howling with laughter every few minutes. Maybe he really is naturally funny or Koga is just tired out of his mind and anything sounds like comedy gold to him, but on the brighter side according to Natsume Koga's laugh is awfully contagious and he found himself quietly giggling along whenever Koga's loud and shameless laugh rang through the other side of the speaker.</p><p>Natsume told Koga to go hang up and get some rest because he keeps sounding like he's getting more and more tired, Koga insists he'll stay on the call until Natsume feels better. Natsume says he's fine, Koga doesn't believe him and switches the topic to something random to keep Natsume distracted from thinking about whatever had bothered him.</p><p>Through listening to Koga talk his ear off, Natsume found his own tired mind drifting back and forth between thoughts. Thoughts about Koga specifically, it's hard to think of anything else with Koga's voice going straight to his ear. He found his previous opinions of Koga changing completely. And a stray thought that it's not so bad having him as a soulmate goes through his mind, and he smiles at that. It really isn't so bad, it's only the beginning and he got to see such a caring and thoughtful side of Koga, that itself makes Natsume's heart warm. Koga sacrificing his own sleep so he can stay up with Natsume to make him feel better, even though Natsume kept insisting that he's fine but Koga saw through that too, it really shows what a big heart Koga has.</p><p>Natsume feels himself drifting to sleep, and he makes a quick mental note to thank Koga when he sees him at school tomorrow, because if it wasn't for him Natsume wouldn't have gotten any sleep and would have instead stayed up with his thoughts and skipped school the next day. He falls asleep with one last thought in his mind,</p><p>He could easily fall in love with Koga.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Koga should praise himself because it's only his second time on that weird library elevator thing and he'd already gotten used to it, not screaming like a little bitch when it went down this time. He also didn't get distracted like a kid in a candy store this time and instantly head down with no interruptions.</p><p>He thought he'd find Natsume in that little weird room, instead he found him sitting on one of the tables reading a book. Natsume looked up at him and smirked, "missed me alreADY?" </p><p>Koga couldn't help but mirror it with one of his own as he walked over towards the chair across from where Natsume was sitting. "Well you fell asleep on me yesterday so I figured you owe me an apology!" in any other situation Natsume would have taken offense and Koga would have actually meant it, but his tone is playful and the atmosphere is comfortable so Natsume takes this as great progress in their weird relationship. He closed his book and leaned against his hand, looking up fully at Koga now. "Do I nOW?"</p><p>Koga hummed in confirmation, giving a solid nod making it known that there is no room for argument against it.</p><p>"Hm, very well thEN. How would you like your apoloGY?" the mischievous tone in his voice made it obvious he was trying to flirt, but his attempt went over Koga's head as something else had taken his attention and his expression turned into something more thoughtful.</p><p>Natsume noticed that Koga's attention was on Natsume's bandaged fist and tried to self-consciously cover it with his other hand, even though he knows it's useless by now.</p><p>Suddenly everything had made sense to Koga, he had bits and pieces scattered here and there but seeing Natsume's bandaged hand connected all the puzzle pieces and it all clicked together in his head.</p><p>He now understood those sudden sharp pains he experienced in his chest a few times.</p><p>He now understood why he had the sudden urge to call Natsume yesterday.</p><p>He now understood why Kaoru always defends Rei whenever Koga is angry enough to get physically violent with him.</p><p>He now understood why his own fist started hurting out of nowhere yesterday.</p><p>'would you be a little nicer? I'm tired of feeling secondhand pain on his behalf!' Kaoru would complain, pulling Koga and Rei apart. Whenever Koga asked him what the fuck he means, Kaoru gets embarrassed and refuses to give a proper answer.</p><p>Yesterday when Koga woke up in the middle of the night with awful feelings in his chest, an urge to call Natsume and a sharp pain that suddenly made him feel like his fist got torn in half, those were all connected to whatever Natsume was feeling. Natsume was upset when Koga called, that explains why Koga felt so much pain in his chest. Those were Natsume's feelings. Their emotional pain is connected. When Koga's fist hurt, it was because Natsume had hurt his own fist. Their physical pain is connected. And the urge he had to call him, that must have been part of this bond. That you have to be there for your soulmate. A warning letting you know your soulmate needs you right now.</p><p>There really is no escape, they're meant to be whether they like it or not. Even if they had continued not getting along, the universe would have still found its ways to keep them connected. Emotionally, mentally, physically, in any way. They'll keep coming back to each other.</p><p>"What happened to your hand?" Koga asked, not taking his eyes off of it.</p><p>Natsume awkwardly cleared his throat and looked away. "I.. Uh.. FeLL." He's a horrible liar.</p><p>"You fell?" it was obvious Koga wasn't buying it and Natsume could tell, but he was going to stick to the lie and hope Koga doesn't question him any further. "mhmM".</p><p>Koga couldn't get Natsume to even admit to being upset yesterday, let alone tell him what was bothering him. Whatever happened to his hand, he sure as hell wasn't going to tell him. Koga could only hope it was Natsume's own doing, not someone else's. That thought crosses Koga's mind for a split second and it made him clench the edge of the table harshly, biting down on his own teeth. He felt strangely protective, like he'd rip the head off of anyone who'd ever hurt Natsume.</p><p>"You can rely on me, ya know." Koga quietly peppered in, acting as nonchalantly as he could but also hoping he got his message across.</p><p>A small smile spread on Natsume's face and he nodded, now turning to look back at Koga. "I will keep that in mIND"</p><p>He thought their conversation on that topic was over, and had decided to switch it to something else, before he was taken back by the most unpredictable thing Koga could have ever done.</p><p>He had reached out and grabbed Natsume's bandaged hand, and slowly brought it towards his own lips, planting a soft kiss on his knuckles. Natsume felt his pulse quicken to an inhuman extent and so much, so much warmth burst in his chest. Koga must have felt it too, because he lifted his gaze up to meet Natsume's wide eyed one with a soft smile, an expression Natsume never thought he'd see on Koga before he let go of his hand.</p><p>Natsume didn't know how to react after that, or what to say. He must look like an idiot, eyes wide and mouth open in shock as his face turns a shade of red to rival his hair color.</p><p>Koga seemed casual about it, grabbing the book Natsume was reading and opening it, confusion growing more and more evident on his face as he flips through the old pages covered in a foreign language.</p><p>"so what's this thing supposed to be?"</p><p>Natsume highly doubts Koga is interested in spells and ancient languages and history and stuff, so he definitely isn't asking because he wants to expand his knowledge in these areas. Yet he still asked, which meant he was interested in Natsume's interests. That thought alone almost made Natsume melt on the spot, thankfully his inner organs didn't have the same reaction as it did earlier because Koga would have felt it too and that one would have been awkward to explain.</p><p>So instead, he started explaining the contents of the book.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Koga hates the sound of the rain. He likes being under it and he likes watching it and he likes the rain in general, but it's the sound of it that he can't stand. The constant ticking and clicking against every piece of glass in his house, it feels like a time bomb about to run out and explode at any second. It stresses him out, it's why he tries to sleep through the rainy days if he can. If not, he plugs in headphones and turns them to the highest volume to keep the sound out.</p><p>He also remembered he had some laundry hanged on the balcony and now he can't go get them back in because his balcony doesn't have anything covering it so he'll get wet trying to save his clothes which have, without a doubt, also gotten completely wet.</p><p>He checks the time on his phone.</p><p>12:36 A.M.</p><p>A reasonable time to head to bed, really. So there's no need for him to stay up and stress himself further with the sound of the rain and the thought of his miserable laundry.</p><p>Leon beat him to his bed and got himself comfortable as he waited for Koga to get in as well. Just the sight of his mattress was enough to make him finally succumb to the tiredness he'd been ignoring for hours and he was ready to crash face first into the pillow and sleep like a rock.</p><p>That was the plan. Until he heard his doorbell ring.</p><p>Koga groaned loudly as he hadn't even gotten the chance to properly get in bed and now he had to get out again. Who the fuck is at his door at 12 past midnight?!</p><p>He stomps over to the door, ready to yank it off its hinges and give whoever decided this is a normal hour to pay him a visit a piece of his mind.</p><p>"Wh-" he started as soon as the door was open, but the words instantly got stuck in his throat and any anger he had felt completely evaporated.</p><p>Natsume was standing in front of him. He was completely drenched, and he looks so shaky. His face red and eyes puffy, it's clear he had been crying. He looked so weak, so vulnerable. </p><p>As soon as he made eye contact with Koga, he tried to explain his sudden appearance.</p><p>"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know where else to go i-" Koga couldn't even handle listening to how hoarse his voice is and how it cracked through his sentence, he instantly grabbed Natsume by the hand and pulled him in, closing the door behind him and pulling him into a hug. He didn't care that Natsume had gotten him entirely wet as well or that his floor is also covered in water as well. Nothing mattered, everything can be easily fixed, but not whatever was bothering Natsume. It had to be serious, especially since as soon as he was in Koga's arms he burst out crying again, trying to muffle his sobs against Koga's shoulder. Leon barked loudly as he rushed out to check on who this new person is, but didn't step too close to Natsume upon seeing how much water there is so he just sat nearby. </p><p>Koga stood there holding him, slightly rocking him back and forth. The AC being on was a terrible idea because Koga feels really cold and he's sure Natsume feels even colder considering he is entirely drenched but it'd be a little awkward to leave him just to turn off the AC so if they get sick then so be it. He got the protective feeling again, wanting to know what happened to make Natsume feel like this. Wanting to do anything to make him feel better. His grip around Natsume's waist tightened and he moved his other arm to wrap it around Natsume's shoulders instead. It still feels cold, but that didn't stop him from leaning his head against Natsume's, and now is the second time he finds himself appreciating Natsume's height, it feels just right.</p><p>Everything about him feels just right.</p><p>Natsume slowly, hesitantly pulled away from the hug only enough to look at Koga's face, but kept his arms wrapped around him, standing chest to chest. He can't be concerned about the fact that he got him wet either. Koga felt relieved to see that Natsume had stopped crying, but the dried tears on his face are evidence of his hurt and Koga couldn't stop himself from bringing a hand towards his cheek and wiping the tear trails away, although it doesn't really make a difference considering his hair keeps dripping down his face. "what happened..?" he asked quietly, hoping it isn't too soon for Natsume.</p><p>Natsume drops his gaze down. "I.. I don't feel like talking about it.. Don't worry though, you.. Just being here... I feel much more calm" he looked up at him again, with a small smile that seemed forced. Koga sighed as he reluctantly pulled away from Natsume entirely and took it in his wet figure. "You're soaked... You should take a shower, otherwise you'll catch a cold."</p><p>Natsume's cheeks tinted pink at the suggestion, but he knew that Koga was right. "I didn't exactly bring any clothes with me-"</p><p>"I'll find something for you, just.. Go take a shower" Koga instantly went off in the direction of where his closet is to find something, because if he stood there any longer he might have pulled Natsume into another 15 minutes long hug. There's just something about how solemn he looked, how quiet and how.. Small he seemed. Not in height, he just seemed very out of it and clearly not alright and it was a completely new experience for Koga who had only ever seen Natsume with a smug smile on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes. He feels like maybe if he kept holding him long enough he'd make whatever upset him disappear. </p><p>By the time he came back out with some clothes for Natsume and a towel, Natsume was already gone and the sound of water coming from his bathroom resonated throughout his small apartment. He took a deep breath to brace himself for what he has no choice but to do now. He walked over to the bathroom door and knocked on it softly. </p><p>The sound of running water stopped suddenly. "YeS?" </p><p>Koga cleared his throat. "The.. Uh.. Clothes. Open up" </p><p>It took a few seconds before the door was cracked open slightly and only Natsume's hand peeked out, extended for Koga to place the clothes in it. </p><p>"Can't guarantee you won't look like a baby wearing them" he slightly teased as he placed them in Natsume's hand. </p><p>"Very funNY" was the last reply he got before the door was closed and the water turned back on after a few seconds. </p><p>Koga figured there wasn't much left to do until Natsume is done and grabbed the mop to clean up his wet floor instead.</p><p>He sat down after he was done and quietly pondered this situation he found himself in. Leon had came and crawled into his lap and Koga welcomed it, slowly running his fingers through his fur as he thought about how to go around this. He knew Natsume wasn't alright from that night he had called him, but he didn't expect that he'd find him on his door in less than two days. Natsume said he doesn't want to talk about it, and that Koga was apparently doing enough just by being there, so Koga won't pressure Natsume to open up about anything he's not ready to talk about, and instead make do with what he can. Provide some comfort however he can, just like he did that night he called him out of nowhere.</p><p>For once, the sound of the rain outside provided a comforting ambience as it served as background noise to stop his thoughts from getting too loud.</p><p> </p><p>Natsume finished his shower rather quickly, as only a few minutes later the sound of the water stopped. Leon perked up at the sudden change in sound, and Koga tensed up as he realized that he has to face Natsume again now. Koga carried Leon up carefully so he can stand up before placing back down with care "there we go" he said to him before making his way to the kitchen quickly and placing water to boil on the stove. What would Natsume even want to drink? Is he a tea or coffee person? Koga doesn't know, but he also figures coffee at this hour wouldn't be very good. Maybe hot chocolate? The weather outside seemed fitting for it, but does Natsume like that? Would he like it if Koga put little marshmallows in it, or does he not like sweet things? There's a lot of details Koga still doesn't know and also doesn't know how to ask without making it weird. This isn't the appropriate time to get to know what Natsume likes to drink. He could be a soda person for all he knows, and that'd be kinda shit because Koga doesn't have any sodas.</p><p>As soon as he heard the bathroom door click open, he remembered the running AC and the fact that Natsume is positively not making it out of his apartment without catching a cold. He rushed out instantly to grab the remote and turn it off.</p><p>"your shampoo smells weIRD" Natsume suddenly said as he closed the bathroom door behind him, and Koga turned to face him. He had wanted to say something along the lines of 'excuse you, Old Spice are superior' but his words got stuck in his throat as his mind blanked, the sight of Natsume in his clothes pushing him towards a heart attack way too quickly.</p><p>"Uh... OogaMI?"</p><p>That was the first time Natsume had used his name. Well, his last name technically, but they were getting somewhere! There's just something awfully overwhelming about this moment, Natsume standing there with his hair wet and his cheeks flushed, wearing Koga's clothes, calling him by his (last) name. Koga has to pull himself together otherwise it'd be rather embarrassing to just collapse on the floor right now.</p><p>Take a shot every time Koga clears his throat awkwardly because he just did that again. "C-come here.. Let me dry your hair" where is all this affection coming from? He doesn't even dry Leon's fur sometimes, what's gotten into him? Clearly Natsume got taken back by that suggestion as much as he did judging by how wide his eyes suddenly went, but Koga sure as hell isn't backing out now. He will go through with his stupid suggestion, like a man! He sat down on the carpeted floor and looked expectantly at Natsume, waiting for him to come sit in front of him.</p><p>Upon realizing Koga is serious about this, all Natsume could do was let out awkward laugh as he slowly walks towards him and sits down. This was.. A bad idea.</p><p>Koga grabs the towel and softly wraps it around Natsume's hair, gripping tightly before he started running it through his hair. Except.. Koga has never dried the hair of another person, the only times he's ever done this was to Leon, and.. Well.. You don't have to dry the fur of a dog very softly, do you? Especially when he keeps squirming. So the first thing Natsume exclaims is a loud "Ow!" as Koga dries his hair as he would dry Leon's hair. "What?" Koga asks, completely confused, not as if didn't almost remove Natsume's head from the rest of his body.</p><p>"Wh-WhAT? You're seriously asking thAT? Do you know how rough you're beiNG?"</p><p>Koga doesn't. His confused expression makes it obvious.</p><p>Annoyed, Natsume grabs Koga's head instead and runs his hands through his hair as roughly as he was doing it to Natsume.</p><p>"Wha- Hey! My h-" Koga had wanted to complain about his hair getting messed up (even more than it was before) at first, but his sentence wouldn't finish as he just found himself melting into the touch, as rough as it is. It's kind of embarrassing, he practically went limp under Natsume's hands, his own hands that were on the towel on Natsume's head dropped down to his shoulders along with the towel.</p><p>It didn't take Natsume long to catch up on what that reaction means, and he actually found it sort of endearing. His touch softened up, and it was less of a rough taste of Koga's own medicine and more softly massaging his scalp and running his fingers through his hair. A needy whine escaped Koga's throat as he scooted forward more and leaned his head against Natsume's chest, eyes shut as he let himself get lost in the feeling. "Are you alrigHT?" Natsume asked, not stopping his maneuvers. </p><p>"S-Sorry.." Koga managed to choke out, mind entirely blank. "It's just been so long since anyone's touched me.." that was embarrassing to admit, but it's true. He can't remember the last time another person touched him with so much tender care, it's making him melt even deeper into Natsume. Feeling entirely swallowed up this overwhelming feeling of affection he holds for the other boy. </p><p>Love, is it? </p><p>Natsume seemed to understand, and he didn't make fun of Koga or tease him for it. Koga appreciates that an incredible amount, because he would simply cry if Natsume had poked fun at him. Instead, Natsume helped guide Koga into a more comfortable position, keeping him leaned against his chest as Natsume found comfort in his warmth as well, and kept running his hands through his hair. </p><p>Feeling bold, he trailed one of his hands down towards his back, rubbing it softly and grazing his nails against the clothed skin every once in a while, Koga seems to like it as he was practically purring at this point. For someone who gets compared to a dog so much, he's sure showing some feline behaviors at the moment. </p><p>Koga slowly wrapped his arms around Natsume's waist again, this almost feels like a dream. If it wasn't so vivid, if it didn't feel so real, he would have concluded that he's simply dreaming. </p><p>This is the first time anyone's touched him with so much care, with so much 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. He could stay here forever, wrapped up in Natsume's embrace. He feels like if there was ever a time he didn't want Natsume as his soulmate, it doesn't seem like it even existed. For someone who was so upset over it at first, he finds himself now so thankful, so grateful that Natsume ended up being his other half. Because in this moment, with Natsume's hands tenderly running up and down his back, his neck, his arms, through his hair, in every spot he could comfortably touch him, he feels like there's no one else he'd rather be with, no where else he belongs. </p><p>Love, it definitely is. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"I want to show you something"</p><p>It took almost an hour until Koga was finally able to pull himself away from Natsume's embrace, and almost as long to convince Natsume to sleep over. ("I don't have a uniform for tomorROW", "you can borrow my spare?!", "oH, yeS, that is not obviOUS. At AlL". They ended up settling for it in the end) and Koga ended up discovering that Natsume literally does not care what Koga makes for them to drink (he forgot the boiling water and almost blew the kettle up as everything in it had evaporated and it was simply boiling metal by that point) so they agreed on hot chocolate. (Yes, Natsume does like the little marshmallows). And now Koga had suddenly remembered a sight that he's seen so many times he considers boring by now, but he knows Natsume would like it.</p><p>He grabbed an umbrella from the kitchen and walked towards his balcony door, gesturing for Natsume to follow. "why would we need that on your balcONY?"</p><p>"it's messy out here, but hurry up"</p><p>Natsume rolled his eyes and followed him as he opened the umbrella up. "You do know opening an umbrella inside is considered bad luck, corrECT?"</p><p>"I really don't care"</p><p>Koga grabbed Natsume's waist again and pulled him against him completely. "Wha-"</p><p>"You'll get wet again otherwise"</p><p>Natsume didn't question any further and just watched to see what grand thing Koga had to show him on the goddamn balcony.</p><p>As Koga opened the balcony door up and stepped outside, he dragged Natsume along and then pointed at the tree barely a few feet away from the railing. "look!"</p><p>It took Natsume a few squints to try and make out what exactly was Koga pointing at in the complete darkness, then it made sense to him. On the tree was what looked like a small tree house, and inside it was filled with cats.</p><p>"The old owner built that but after they left, the stray cats started using it as shelter during the rain. Cute till it rains all night and you can hear their meows out your window until sunrise."</p><p>Natsume didn't seem to register whatever Koga had just said, instead distracted by the adorable and unique sight. It's not everyday you see a tree house turned into a cat fortress.</p><p>Koga would have done this a lot sooner had he knows this was all it'd take to have Natsume smiling so widely again. It's kind of hard for him to pay much attention to that tree house when Natsume is glowing brighter than any star in the sky above them like this. He barely noticed Natsume's gaze turn towards him and his smile turn into a smirk. "OogaMI, you're staring agAIN"</p><p>"Yeah, well, you're worth staring at"</p><p>This felt like deja vu, Natsume remembered the first time he caught him staring and how different the situation and the response were. But at least he's figuring out that what he read on Koga's palm that day was slowly turning out to be true, they can both feel the passion blooming between them.</p><p>When Koga compares this moment to that one, all he can focus on is how kissable Natsume looked that day up close like that and how he looks even more so right now. Pressed flush against his chest, lips just a breath away. If he leans in, just a little bit...</p><p>"we should head back iN. You can also catch a cold like thIS"</p><p>Or not. Whatever. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The next morning came quicker than Koga expected it to. For once, he felt like he barely slept 5 minutes. Not as in he's still tired, he feels energized enough, it's as in he feels like he closed his eyes only 5 minutes ago when it was still 3 am and now he opened them up and it's almost 7.</p><p>He remembers clearly that he and Natsume had an argument that lasted at least 35 minutes over who gets to sleep on the couch and who gets to sleep on the bed (Koga insisting he takes the couch and Natsume saying that he's the guest so he should take the couch) which ended with Natsume getting pissed off and saying he'll agree to sleep in Koga's bed if Koga sleeps in it too. It was sort of awkward after the words left his mouth as they both just kinda stood there red-faced trying to process what the fuck Natsume just said but it ended with Koga going 'fine!' in the most fake angry way possible and now they're here. Koga is also sure they were on opposite sides of the bed when they first got in but it proved to be a little hard to sleep at first and they just kind of kept scooting closer to each other until Koga had his arms wrapped around Natsume, holding him close to his chest. Koga had only ever fallen asleep cuddling Leon before, so to hold another person like this was an entirely new experience. But it's not just any random person, it's Natsume, and Koga finds himself feeling extremely comfortable around him suddenly and he didn't end up a blushing mess this. It felt comforting, actually. Koga managed to fall asleep much easier after he and Natsume gave up on trying to avoid each other on the bed and gave into each other instead.</p><p>When Koga woke up however, he didn't have Natsume against his chest anymore. Instead Leon had found his way between them while they were asleep and Natsume was cuddling him instead.</p><p>Wow, Koga? Feeling jealous? Of his own dog? Maybe.</p><p>But he also found the sight absolutely endearing and couldn't help the affectionate grin that spread across his face. Leon, his most favorite thing in the world, cuddled up to Natsume, who is slowly becoming his other most favorite thing in the world.</p><p>He tried to reach for his phone as quietly as he could without disturbing either one of them, and snapped a picture of the sight. This would definitely make a great wallpaper, he thought to himself.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Upon arriving at Yumenosaki, Koga stayed clinging to Natsume until they had made it to the door of his classroom. He claimed he's still worried about Natsume and will escort him safely to his classroom then leave, as if Natsume was being hunted by some hitman and needed Koga to play his bodyguard. When Natsume told Koga (a few million times) that he feels better, he actually meant it sincerely this time. He genuinely doesn't feel upset over what happened yesterday, because Koga had gone out of his way to provide him with comfort and an unnecessary amount of affection that Natsume had been craving for far too long. He felt like he mattered to someone for once. He knows his worth, and he knows what others think of him. He knows his mother loves him, even if she can be strict with him sometimes. He knows Tsumugi cares about him and he knows Sora loves him with all his heart. He also knows that despite not being together anymore, the rest of The Oddballs still adore him and look out for him. And he appreciates every single one of them, even if he has his own strange ways of expressing it. However, he just never felt like they were people he'd want to burden with his thoughts and feelings. Like they were not cut out for the task of caring for him and providing him with comfort and reassurance, even if deep down he knows they would all do everything they can to make him feel happy again.</p><p>It's another reason why he was always so eager to finally meet his soulmate, he felt like they would be the one he wouldn't feel like a burden going to and expressing his negative feelings. And at first, he didn't think he would ever allow himself to be so weak and vulnerable in front of Koga, Koga seemed like the most unlikely person to ever provide him with comfort, he came off as the most emotionally constipated human ever and the only emotion he has in his dictionary being 'rage', but he was definitely proven wrong yesterday, and even before that when he had called him up in the middle of the night when he needed the distraction the most.</p><p>"well then my loyal kniGHT, we have arrived at my classroOM, you may leave nOW" Natsume said, turning around to look at Koga who made sure to stand close behind him.</p><p>Koga still seemed hesitant, and Natsume briefly wondered if he was doing this because he wanted to 'make sure he got there safely' (as if they're in some maze) or because he just wanted to stay close to Natsume for longer. He's gotten attached rather quickly, and Natsume finds it cute.</p><p>"You sure you'll be okay?" why is he making this so dramatic? Natsume is not leaving for a different country, he's literally just going to class.</p><p>"I'll be fiNE" Natsume tried to hold his laughter in because there's a lot he wants to tease Koga about.</p><p>Suddenly, Koga pulls him into a hug similar to the one he pulled him into yesterday when he found him crying at his door. Except this time Natsume wasn't distracted by his own hurricane of emotions or trying to muffle his cries against Koga's shoulder, so it just felt like this was the first time it had happened. He had enough consciousness to take it in properly. How tight Koga's hug is, but at the same time caring. It was protective and Natsume felt so safe in his arms, but at the same time he was gentle, as if Natsume was as fragile as glass and would shatter if he pressed too hard. Natsume's height put his face directly into Koga's shoulder and against his neck, it was warm, and he could feel Koga's pulse through his neck. But even aside from that, he could feel his heartbeat against his chest, almost in sync with his own. And it was warm. It was so, so warm. He wrapped his arms around Koga's waist and allowed himself to get lost in his embrace. It was still early, and many students were outside by the fountain chatting and not in their classrooms, so they shouldn't get caught, (not by too many people at least) but Natsume found he doesn't mind the thought of getting caught. He's happy like this, he feels content.</p><p>"can you feel my heartbeat?" Koga whispered to him, his breath hot against Natsume's neck and it sent shivers down his spine. Natsume's own heart was beating in his ears and he could feel every beat of Koga's heart against his own chest.</p><p>"Yes... It's precious."</p><p>Koga figured the hug went on for too long and students should be coming to their classrooms soon enough, so he slowly, hesitantly, pulled away but kept holding Natsume by his arms, keeping him close. He stared into Natsume's eyes, their color, despite not being much different from Koga's own, will never fail to have him feeling mesmerized and hypnotized. Like he's under a spell. They were so rich in color, so bright, so honest. No matter how hard he tries to hide his true feelings behind fancy ways of speaking and mean looking glares, his eyes will still betray him. It's how Koga could figure out he was feeling hurt that day they spent in the Light Music Clubroom contemplating how horrible the situation they're in is, and now they're here, overwhelmed with feelings for each other, hearts feeling like they only beat for the other.</p><p>Koga hesitated as he brought his hands up to cup Natsume's cheeks, and Natsume felt his heart skip a beat. And it skipped a few too many beats as Koga closed his eyes and leaned in, Natsume closed his own eyes as he waited for the contact against his lips but it never came.</p><p>Instead, he felt lips press against the bridge of his nose. The way Koga pressed the kiss so gently almost made Natsume forget how disappointed he feels over it not being where he wanted it to be.</p><p>He's not used to so much care, so much soft treatment.</p><p>But he feels like he could definitely get used to it if it's with Koga.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The third time he held him like that was backstage. Everyone was busy and running around getting prepared for when it's their turn on stage, and in the busy crowd not much attention was payed to them. Nobody had the time to question what the two were up to, each one stressed out by their own business.</p><p>Natsume's used to being on stage and he's used to performing so it's not like he needs comfort and reassurance before getting on a stage, like Mika would, yet Koga continued proving to be amazing at providing the weirdest excuse to be close to Natsume.</p><p>Natsume didn't mind, he was winning in this situation as much as Koga was. Although the fur on the undead outfit was kind of ticklish to his nose.</p><p>"Undead's up in 2 minutes!" Koga heard Anzu's voice in the distance and heard the finale of Voice of Sword play out on the stage and knew it was time he let go so he can be prepared when Undead's turn comes. And again, let's go with hesitancy.</p><p>"I gotta go" Koga says rather obviously, as he presses a kiss to the bridge of Natsume's nose again. This is cute, it really is, but is it a crime for Natsume to crave a little more? </p><p>Koga pulls away and turns his back to walk away.</p><p>Now or never.</p><p>But Natsume finds it hard to move, his heart beat picking up.</p><p>Koga's almost gone.</p><p>Now or never, now or never, 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳!</p><p>"Koga!" Natsume calls out to him and Koga freezes in his tracks, the sound of his own name ringing in his ears. He turns around towards Natsume, and feels his hand suddenly get grabbed to pull him down, a hand gripping the jacket of his outfit as lips crash against his.</p><p>Natsume gets taken back to the time his mother would read him fairy tales before bed, and how magically she'd describe every 'true love's kiss' in the books. He wondered if he'd ever experience a kiss so powerful it could wake him up from any spell, or even death. She tells him he will, the day he kisses his soulmate for the first time. He'll feel those sparks, he'll feel his pulse quicken, he'll feel those butterflies in his stomach as nothing else matters. He thought maybe they were a bit exaggerated for the sake of the story, but here, right now, with his lips pressed against his soulmate's, he realizes that they were not exaggerated. They were in fact understated. Because this feels better than any written description could capture, and it's only intensified by the connection he has to Koga, being able to feel Koga's overwhelming emotions on top of his own.</p><p>When he finally pulls away, barely an inch, he couldn't stop the words that came out of his mouth "I love you."</p><p>And he meant it, with full honesty. For once, he'll be honest with himself, and another.</p><p>Koga doesn't give him a verbal response, instead he brings a hand up to cup his face and crash his lips against Natsume's again, this time no hesitation, trying to convey all his feelings and all his passion through it. Natsume thinks he'll never get enough of kissing Koga now that he's gotten a taste of it, this burst of electricity he feels for the second time might grow into an addiction.</p><p>Koga pulls away first this time, the smile on his face being one Natsume sees for the first time, pure happiness. "Good luCK" Natsume tells him, letting go of his jacket, and his hand. Koga misses the warmth already, but he knows he'll be late if he doesn't leave now. But that's no issue, the quicker he gets this live done with, the quicker he can return to this and finish what Natsume started.</p><p>Koga gives him one last smile before he runs off in the direction of the stage before Rei comes and drags him by the ear.</p><p>And although every live Koga gives it his all, being filled with fire and passion, this time many can agree that there was something different in his performance. More energy, more spirit.</p><p>Even Rei comments on how his aura was suddenly entirely different, Koga brushes it off with a proud smirk saying that's just his natural ability as an idol. Rei doesn't question him any further.</p><p>Although caught up with his own soulmate shenanigans, he could also see the slow yet obvious change in attitude between Kaoru and Rei. He could see Kaoru slowly becoming more accepting of Rei's affections and clinginess, and Koga has to admit if Kaoru can one day handle the full power of Rei 'big baby' Sakuma and his needy clinginess, he'd hold an incredible amount of admiration and respect for him because Koga himself wouldn't be able to put up with it.</p><p>But Koga can also tell Rei's a lot happier with Kaoru slowly growing to accept the fact that they're soulmates. Maybe because he experienced the whole 'I don't want you as my soulmate' phase and now the part where they fully accept it and he's seen every side of it, he can confirm that the happiness that comes from it is incomparable. He wishes that happiness for Rei, and maybe even Kaoru.</p><p>I mean, it's bad enough they have to live with their soulmate tattoos, which just might beat Natsume and Koga's for the title of 'worst possible soulmate marks on earth'. I mean, seriously?</p><p>'you're the most beautiful man I've ever seen in my life'. </p><p>'I'm straight'.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They weren't needed at the so-called 'celebration party' after a series of successful lives, they already know they did well, can't they just be told a 'good job', receive a pat on the back and go home? Do they still have to stay behind and interact with people after they've used up all their energy on their performances?</p><p>Well, it doesn't matter. The others can stay back and deal with those things themselves. Rei can handle it if he realizes Koga's gone and Tsumugi may freak out at first over Natsume's absence but it won't be the end of the world so who cares?</p><p>Koga and Natsume managed to sneak out of the party without being caught by anybody and made it back to Koga's apartment. The atmosphere much more quiet and calming here than it is in that crowded place where all you can hear is Wataru screaming 'amazing' at the top of his lungs and Leo's annoying laugh.</p><p>This, instead, is much more peaceful.</p><p>Lights dimmed and nothing but the noise of the AC in the air and their own sounds.</p><p>Natsume pulls away from Koga's lips for a brief moment to catch a few sharp intakes of air before kissing him again, hungry and needy. His hands slip Koga's jacket off his shoulders and to the floor, Koga does the same to Natsume's jacket.</p><p>Natsume goes about this through his memory, he doesn't want to pull away from Koga so he's simply guessing where the bedroom door is as he pulls Koga along. After accidentally banging his head against the wall, Koga decides they can break the kiss apart long enough to find the bed. That was very unsexy and not a turn on at all, especially with Natsume pouting at Koga as he tries to stop laughing at him.</p><p>After successfully finding the bedroom door (Koga's apartment is small yet Natsume still had trouble finding the door to the only bedroom in the whole flat, imagine if there were stairs.) Natsume grabs Koga by the collar of his shirt and pulls him in towards the bed, connecting their lips again as he lays down on it and drags Koga on top of him.</p><p>Koga then trails kisses from his mouth, to his cheek, to his jawline, down to his neck, and doesn't bite and suck until he makes it to his collarbone, a place Natsume can easily cover but Koga would feel accomplished knowing he marked him somehow.</p><p>After a few more seconds, Koga pulls away to admire the bruising area. This was definitely his first time leaving a hickey on someone (not his first time biting, though. And it's not in any sexy way.) so it's a pass in his book. He turns his gaze to lock eyes with Natsume, searching for any signs of hesitation.</p><p>"Are you going to stare forevER?" Natsume quirks an eyebrow up at him. "I'd like to." Koga replies. Internally cringing at how cheesy he sounded, and it's further confirmed by Natsume snorting at him.</p><p>A few more seconds until Koga feels the trance break and he can finally look away from Natsume's eyes, only to lean down and kiss him again. This time, his hands boldly sliding down to his sides and swallowing up the noise Natsume moans into his mouth as he squeezes his hip.</p><p>Neither of them like being exposed or vulnerable, but just this once, only towards each other, they can easily let go of their worries and let passion take control of their actions instead.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The next morning, they both feel grateful they had forgotten their phones on silent. Each one of them had over 100 notifications in missed calls and spam texts from literally almost everyone who has their contact info.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Any luck?" Kaoru asks, looking at Rei as he hangs up his own call after not recognizing any answer from Koga for the 50th time.</p><p>Rei sighs as he stares at his screen, where it keeps vibrating as the words 'calling...' under Natsume's ID photo taunt him, only to receive no answer. "Unfortunately, none." he decides to send a few more messages to Nastume instead hoping maybe the buzzing of his phone will catch his attention.</p><p>"Where the hell did they go?"</p><p>"Where did who go?" Subaru's curiosity gets the best of him as he pokes his head between Rei and Kaoru's conversation.</p><p>Rei sighs for the millionth time in that hour as Kaoru decides to answer on his behalf. "Wan-chan and Sakasaki-kun. They just suddenly disappeared and they're not picking up their phones or answering any texts"</p><p>Subaru's face lights up as he felt useful having an answer to their worries. "Oh! I saw them leave together almost an hour ago!".</p><p>Rei and Kaoru instantly turn to face each other, a knowing look on both their faces.</p><p>"My, you should have came from the start. You certainly cleared up the issue, Akehoshi-kun" Rei says, turning his phone off now that there's no use in calling anyone.</p><p>Kaoru however sends one last text to Koga before turning his own off.</p><p>'Have fun ;)'</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>That,,,,,,, was something! I wanted reikao to have a bigger part but I lost control of my fingers and they kept slipping.</p><p>Also, you can just imagine whatever you want to have been Natsume's reason for being sad I didn't think that far and it's just left up to the reader because the author is bird brained. I just felt like it fit the plot but didn't know what exactly could make Natsume that sad so I just............................. Didn't specify................................. </p><p>Anyway! Interact with me on Instagram if you want! I'm @natsuunui</p></blockquote></div></div>
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